Track for dog racing



Jan-6, 1931. 1.. G. THROCKMORTON TRACK FOR DOG RACING Filed May 11, 19272 Sheets-Sheet l auoanto'v Lela/0n G.

Zttouw Jan 6, 1931. 1.. G. THROCKMORTON 1, ,6

TRACK FOR DOG RACING Filed May 11,. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan.6, 1931 UNITED? srATsi esion e. rnnooxiaon'ron, OFVMIAMI, FLORIDA mnncxron'noa RACING Application filed May 11,

the provision for the convenience of the spectators, the safety of thedogs, and, since doglo'racing has become a standardized sport, theconstruction of the race track must be such that it can be duplicatedwith exactitude in different locations. I In carrying out the firstobject of the in if) vention, the lure-operating means must be supportedfrom the inner side of the track so that the spectatorsinay have anunobstructed view of the dogs, it must be of such restricted height thatthepart of it in front of the grand- 2o standwill be below the line ofvision of those in the grandstand, and thesupporting members or bracesmust be sodisposed and inclined as to ofier no obstruction t othe viewof the race. Furthermore, the lure must be" 25 suspended by means ofsuch attenuated con-. struction as to be substantially invisible.

In the interest of the safety of the dogs, the truck from which the lureis suspended must be retained upon the track on which it operates insuch a manner as to prevent its derailment and falling in the path ofthe do s. 'f

1%Ioreover, means must be provided at the conclusion of theraceforstopping the dogs I without doing them injury.

From the standpoint of duplication of the race track, the trestle forsupporting the tracks upon which the truck runs must be of suchconstruction that they may be constructed in units, such as may befabricated in toto at a mill or'factory and then transported to theplace of construction and then set up. v

The present invention seeks the fulfillment of the above objects,andother objectsjsuch as may appear as thefollowing .description of apreferred and practical embodimentof the invention proceeds. I

In the'drawings, in which like parts are denoted by identical referencecharacters Fig. I is a side elevationof one of the tres- 1927. SerialNo. 190,607.

tle units, showing the rail stringers in section,;and thetruck and lureinoperative position; r 7

- Fig. IIis a plan view of the race track showing the rails, truck, lureand thestop 55 gate, p v I .f

Fig. III .is aplan viewon an enlarged scale of a portion of the trestle;

a ,Fig. IV is'aside elevation of the stop gate;

Fig. Vis a'sideelevation of asunken hy- 8o draulic dog. lift. IReferring now-in detail to the several figures, the numerailrepresentsthe race track which, as shown in Fig..II, is preferably oval in formand providedaround its inner peripherywith the railway 2 which carriesthe electrically operated truck 3. A lure 4 is suspended from; thetruck, and depends into the path of the'dogs in advance of them. The"speed of. the truck is controlled from a switch box-5 and is alwaysmaintained at a rate slightlyfaster than the dogs can travel so asvv toinduce them to put forth their best speed. r

As is shown inFig; II, where the general lay-out of a race course isdiagrammatically represented, 6 designates-thejudges stand, 7 is asunkenhydraulic lift or cage for bringing thedogs upon thetrack, and 8the stopgate which functions inthe manner hereinbefore'described-to haltthe dogs after they have passed thejudges stand at the conclusion of therace, in such a manner as tov avoid the possibility of injuring them.

. The numerals 9; 10; and 11 represent, re- 5 spectively, entrances forthe dogs at quarter, half, and five-eighth track length intervals. l Therailway upon. which the truck 3 operates is supported upon verticallydisposed members such as are illustrated in Fig. I. Each of thesecomprises the vertical post 12 preferably of I-bearn cross-section andsuitably braced in the rear or otf track direction by an inclinedsupport 1 13b Atriangular bracket l bpreferably alsoof commercial. 95structural steel construction, is secured to each post, overhanging theracecourse, said triangular brackets affording supportfor the stringers15'and 16 which are laid cont-inuously around the racetrack, bridgingthe spaces between the supports. The supporting units are of suchconstruction that they may be fabricated at a mill and transportedintact to their final destination. The triangular supports are soinclined as to be out of the path of View of that part of the racecourse-which the dogs traverse and which the supporting bracketsoverhang;

7 Cross ties 17 are laid upon the stringers .15 and '16 and continuoussleepers 18 and 19 are placed upon said cross'ties,"saidsleeperscar uponsuitably' geared to a driving axle '29 vcarrying the flangeddrive-wheels 30, rests upon the rails 23 and 24and travels about switchbox 5.

them when the motor is energized. ii

Theenergization of the motor is effectedthrough the third rail 25by-electrical connections not shown. controlled from the .The lure 4 isrigidly suspended by-m'eans o'fza braced rod 31, the upper-end of whichrod is.suit'ablylsecuredi to the truck 26.

Thus,- the lure travels with the truck in a continuous ovalipath,'preferably along the medianlline of the race course, apart ofwhich is'constituted by a vacant ground space beneath the railway,-andthe unobstructed visibility of which isgsecuredthrough novelconstruction of the supporting units.

.This visibility may be enhanced, particularly for nightracingbymeansgof electric lights, suitably disposed along-the inclined sidesof the supportingbrackets 14.

The guard rails 21 and 22 extend continuously around the track and areconstituted by members of angular section as shown, supported at properintervals by brackets 20 fixed vertically to the sleepers 18 and 19. Theguard rails overhang lthewheels 30, cooperating with the main rails 23and '24; to form continuous angular spaces within which the treadportions of the wheels extend,so that thetruck is securely interlockedwithrespect to the rails and cannot tip over or fall from the track intothe path of the dogs, which has occasionally happened in devices ofknown structure, sometimes rworking injury to the dogs. v The'third rail25 is carefully insulated from the supporting crossties and the motor isprovided with a trolley 42 making continrent.

[The operation of theiinven'tion may be inferred from'thestructurewhichhas been'described. The dogs may be started in *any suitablemanner, thelure being carried before level of .the race track but beingelevatable hydraulically, by means of the plunger 45 acting in acylinder 46 and'being supplied .by fluld under pressure from anysuitable across the race course, inhibiting the further progress ofthedogs. The gate is'preferably formed with a rim of pipe-fittings 17,suitably" braced as indicated at 48 in Fig. IV; The gate is coveredwith-a canvas sheet .49,

and in the interest of the safety of the dogs the bottom member of therim extends Very close to theground so as toinake it practicallyimpossible for the runningdogs to come into. an ,engagement'with'it.

according to the principles of the present invention needs no outlet orswitch upon which-to sidetrack the dogs at .the conclusion of arace,this further ensuring the safety of the dogs because they do not havetoipi-le into the blind end of an offset portion of theztrack into whichthe linehaspreviously been run. l/Vhile-I haveinthe above descriptionendeavoredf to define a preferred and practical embodiment ofmyinvention itis to be under stoodtliat thespecific details ofconstruction as shownand describedare merely'by way of example, and notlimitative with respect It is obvious that a race track constructed tothe scope of the invention :as definedin the appended claims.

I claim 1. A. race track for dogs includingaplurality of vertical postsdisposed along the inner right-of-way, right-angled triangular shapedbrackets connected to the inner faces of said posts and projectingoutwardly over the course, two traffic rails supported by said brackets,a guard rail mounted above in superposed relation witheach one of saidtrailicrails, a truck provided with rail-engaging wheels mounted uponthe trafiic rails with the flanges out of contact but adjacent. to theguard. rails, wherebythe wheels are held against upward displacement, anelectric motor .for driving the truck carried uous contact with thethird rail 25', through which meansthe motorissupplied wit-h curthereby,a third rail supportedby said bracketsfor supplyingcu'rrent'to theelectric motor,"a' right-angled arm having a short upper v rality ofvertical posts inner right-of-way, two tra o rails supportsuspended fromthe lower free end thereof. 2. A race track for do s including a pluisosed along the ed by said posts, a guard rail mounted above insuperposed relation with each one of said traflic rails,a truck providedwith rail-engaging wheels mounted upon the traflic rails with theflanges out of contact but adjacent to the guard rails, whereby thewheels are held against upward displacement, an electric motor fordriving the truck carried thereby, a third rail supported by said postsfor sup plying current to the electric motor, a ,right angled arm havinga short upper terminal connected to the truck with the longer terminalthereof projected beyond the inner ends of the brackets and terminatingat a point slightly above the course, and a lure suspendedfrom the lowerfree endthereof. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.LUSION G. .THROOKMORTON.

